Q:What’s In a Name? A: A Chance For Freedom

Q:What’s In a Name? A: A Chance For Freedom

“The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names.” -Chinese proverb

How frustrating it is to have good intentions only to be misunderstood in the end. But sometimes the way we act, the things we do convey meanings we didn’t aim to project. Through our behavior we communicate an unspokenness; a hidden truth to us; something buried so deep within that it often remains impenetrable even to ourselves. And so it becomes easy to do things that are out of line with our true nature as long as there remains this part of ourselves longing to be named.

But it’s not enough to label a behavior as ‘good’ or ‘bad’; in fact, this is inimical. As long as we carry on simply accepting certain conduct as acceptable or not acceptable, we cannot get to the nitty gritty of what our actions say about us in order to give a voice to all that we’ve been stifling throughout the course of our lives. This state of reticence creates drama and problems for us. It interferes with our ability to ask ourselves whether our behavior is in line with our core values. In fact, it can even prevent us from being able to identify what our values are.

We all know the importance of naming. There is a name for nearly everything under the sun. Expectant parents can have discussions that go on for hours regarding nothing more than what to call their child who is about to enter the world. Just think what would happen to that child’s sense of self if their parents simply chose not to name them. I imagine it would be confusing, disparaging, and lead to a host of insecurities and personal dilemmas for that person.

It is equally important to give name to the motivations behind our actions, avoiding judgement in labels like ‘positive’ or ‘negative’. We must really delve into the dark waters of our kaleidoscopic beings and ask ourselves those tough questions, such as: What or who does my behavior remind me of? What was I feeling when I chose to do this or that? Did my behavior feel like a choice? What are my biggest fears, where did those fears stem from, and how might my behavior be simulating those fears? What has brought me the most pain and suffering? Have I recreated that pain and suffering in someone else’s life? Forget right or wrong. Forget good or bad. This is you getting real with yourself. This is you giving a name unto yourself, one that you have chosen for yourself. Because once you can name the root of your pain, you can set yourself and those around you free from it.